Manufacture of flour.



No. 682,I89. Patented Sept. I0, |9UI. S. T. GREEN.

MANUFACTURE 0F FLOUR (Application Sled Maly 5, 1900.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(N0 Model.)

` No. 682,|89. Patented sept. lo, |9ol.

s. T. GREEN.

MANUFACTURE 0F FLOUR.

(Application filed May 5, 1900.) (No Modell) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

l l l l.

Patented Sept. l0, I90l. S. T. GREEN.

MANUFACTURE UF FLOUR.

(Application filed May 5, 1900.)

(No Model.)

5 Sheets-8heet 4.

m. Jmwmlfw By 77/S j] Hcrncrys.

, tion therein.

. -tical section.

,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SQIIRE THOMAS GREEN, OF. BEESIRING, KENTUCKY.

MANUFAc'ruA/RE 0F FLOUR.V

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 682,189, dated September 1,0, 1901. Application filed Hay 5, 1900. Serial No. 16,601. (No model.)

To atb wltont it may concern.- Beit known that I, SQUIRE THOMAS GREEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bee spring, 'in the county of Edmonson and State of Kentuckyhave invented anew and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of Flour, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in the manufacture of flour, its objects being to prevent the choking ef the sifter, to effect a ma terial economy in the work of reducing-the stock, and to enhance the quality of the flour obtained; and it consists, essentially, in the method hereinafter'set forth in the description in connection with the drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. p Y

"In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a diagrammatic vertical section Voi' a mill adapted for making flour in accordance with my improved process. Fig. 2 is a horizontal diagrammatic sectional view through the.

sitter` on a plane above the first vertical sec- Fig. 3 is a similar view of the same on a plane intersecting the second versame'on' a plaueintersecting the fthIver- 'tical section. -same on aplane intersecting the sixth ver- Fig. 7 is a similar view of the tical s'ection. Fig. 8 is a similar view of the same on a plane intersecting the seventh vertical section. Fig. 9 is a similar view of the A same on a plane intersecting the eighth vertical section. Fig. 10 is aver-tical sectional viewon a plane through the first break-section of the sifter. Fig. 1l is fa similar view on a plane intersecting the second break-sec-4 tion of the sifter.

of the sifter. Fig. 13 is a similarview en a planeiutersecting the b breaksection of the sifter. Fig. 14 is a similar view on a plane intersectiugthe c break-section of the sift'er.

Fig. 15 is a similar view ou the plane intersecting the d brealbsection of the sitter.

Fig. 16 vis a diagrammaticivertical transverse.

sectienalzview of the sitter.

-In the specification I have numbered the Fig. 4. is a similar view of the V i Fig. 12 is a similar view.v on a-pla'ne intersecting the a break-sectionI -of feed or ship-stuit and our.

break corresponding with the vertical breaksections of the sitter, said break-rolls being represent-odin Fig. 1,and in the said figure the courses of the material through the various break-rolls and various sections of the 'sifter have been traced, and throughout .the draw- .ings the various material and admixtures of material have been represented symbolically by arrows, thus: The triple-.headed arrow4 1 represents wheat o r grain. The single-headed arrow 2, with a' feathered shaft, represents au admixture of bran, tlour,and middlings. The double-headed arrow 3,with a feathered shaft, represents-bran. The single-headed arrow 4,

with an open flag'on b oth s ides `of -its` shaft,

represents au admixture of coarse and line middliugs and `liour. The single-headed ar .row 5, with an open flag on one side of its shaft, represents an admixtu' re of coarse and fine middlings. The double-headed arrow 6,

with an uufeathered shaft, represents an admixture of fine middlings and flour. The

' double-headed arrow 7 ,with a feathered shaft,

represents coarse iniddlings. The singleheaded arrow 8, with au unfe'athered shaft, represents flour. The four-headed arrow 9, with an unfeathered shaft, represents fine' middlings'. Thedouble-headed arrow 10, with open dags on both sides of the shaft, repre-v sents an admixture of vfine middlings, feed or shipstui, and flour. The four-headed arrow 11, with an open flag on each sidefof its shaft, Vrepresents anadmixture of fine mid-- dlings and feed' or ship-stuff.. The singleheaded arrow 12, witha black flag on each side of itsshaft,represents feed orship-stutf. The triple-headed arrow 13, with a blacklieg ou one 'side of its shaft, represents an ad mixture headed arrow 14, with ablack flagon each side of its shaft, represents low-grade flour.

The doublev Through the various figures of thedrawv xo. through thefrst break of rolls, by which it is partially crushed,and is fed onto the wire screen 'in the first vertical section of the first "break of the sifter, which wire screen sepaates the bran from the material, thebran bbing discharged from one end of the said wire screen and is conveyed therefrom to the second break of rolls.l The coarse and fine middlings and flour' resulting from this initial grinding or breaking of the wheat pass zo through the said wire screen of the said rst vertical section of the said first break of the sitter and drop upon the imperforate bottom IJ of the second vertical section of the said first break of the sitter and pass therefrom to the bolting-cloths in the bottom of the third verticalsection ofthe second break -of the sitter. As the said admixtu re of coarse and fine middlings and flour passes'over the said halting-clothv the finest flour is bolted.

3o from the said admixtnre and passes through the said bolting-cloth and falls upon the imperiorateor paper bottomiof the fourth ver- 'of rstgrade flour, which is never after@ tical section of the second break of the sitter and passes therefrom as a finished' product I ward reground or re-tre'ated in any manner.l

The tine-aud coarse middlings pass from the said bolting-cloth in the bottom of the said third-section of the said second breakofbottom of the third vertical section of the first'break of 'the sitter. Independent cleaners areused on the said bolting-cloths and separating-cloth, the said independent cleaners circulating or traveling lengthwise upon said boltingfcloth and separating-cloth Aand from one te the other,'owin g to the motion of the sitter, which is communicated thereto in the manner well' known tomillers and others skilled in the art. The's'aid separating-cloth, Whi h forms the bottom of the said thirdsection'of the first break o! the sitter, servesto separate the coarse iniddlings from thefine middlings, the coarse middlings passing from the said separating-clothand being conveyed to the a, break of the rolls and reground thereby, while the fine middlings, which contain' a'larger'proportionof flour in admixture therewith and-which has escaped theboltiugcloth by reason ot i'tsnotbeing suihciently fine to pass through thesaidbolting-cloth, .are subsequently treated' as hereinafter-described.

1 Heretofore in millingprocesses the coarse 'middlings have been first separated from the fine middlings' and finest fiour and the finest flour `subsequently bolted from the fl'n'e midseance .dlingsg but this method is objectionableon account of the tendency of the material to choke the bolting-cloth, owin to-the large proportion of the tlonr in the' ne middlings, this being especially true when the grain is damp. I obviate this objection, as hereinbe- -fore indicated, by my imp-roved method,

wherein I first bolt the finest flour from. the middlings, while the ne and coarse middlings are admixed therewith, thus greatly reducing the proportion of the flour in the middlings, and subsequently separate Ythe coarse middlings from the fine middlings, so that the proportion of the flour in the fine middlings is so greatly reduced that there is no tendency of the same to clog the boltingcloth in the subsequent stages in the process of making the flour. flour-which lpass through the said separatingcloth in th-e bottom of the third'sectiou of the first break of the sifter fall upon the imperforate bottom of the fourth vertical section ofthe first break of the sifter, pass over the same to one end thereof, and fall through an opening onto the bowing-cloth, which formsthe bottom of the fifth vertical section oftthe first break of the sitter, a proportion of the flour passing through the said bolting-cloth andialling'upon vthe imperfo- 1 The ne middlings and;

rate bottom of the sixth vertical section of A the first breakjof the sitter and beingldscharged therefrom and constituting flour of the second grade. Themiddlings and-flourwhich fail to pass through the said boltingcloth which formsthe bottom of the. fifth ver tical section of thefirst break of the sitter f all, together with a system of circnlating cleaners, bodily from one end of the said ,baiting-cloth onto a bolting-cloth which forms A 4c the sitter ontothe separating-cloth in the the bottom of the seventh vertical 'section of the first break of the sifter, and by thus drop-l ping the said admixture of fine middlings and flour bodily from one bolting-clothto a lower holting-cloth, together with a system or number of cleaners, the masses of said material are mechanically broken up, and any tend# IIO.

ency thereof to' cake together. and choke the baiting-cloths is obviated, this being a matter cloth bodily onto ailower boltingcloth, and this, broadly, I disclaim.` I am also aware that it has been heretofore proposed to subject material on a bolting-cloth'to-the action of a system or numberof cleaners, and this also, broadly, I disclaim; but my methodof preventing the material from caking and choking the bolting-cloths hereinbefore de? scribed, consisting in dropping the screenings bodily from s bolting-cloth to a lower boltingcloth', together-withl a system or vnumber ol circulating cleaners, is novel and constitutes, f

portant feature of my improvement.- l The flourwhich passes through the saidbultv v' desuso flngacloth which forms the bottom of the sev- 'enth vertical section of the first break ofthe sifter, is third-grade ilour, and it falls upon the imperforate bottom of the eighth vertical ing-cloth forming the bottom of the third verter having 4'section of the iirstbreak of the siftenand is second break of rolls, the coarse middlings conveyed to the a break of rolls, and the fine middlings conveyed to the b break of rolls.

The bran is ground by the second break of rolls and conveyed to the wire screen forming the bottom of the Iirst vertical section of the sec.- ond break of the sifter. As the same passes over the said-wire screen the .coarse and tine middlings and flour are separated therefrom, the bran being discharged from said wire screen to the bran-(luster and the coarse and tine middlngs and flour separated from the branfalling upon the imperforate bottom of the second vertical section of the second break ot the sifter, passing therefrom onto the boltticalsection of the a break and b break of the sifter and caused to ass over said boltbottom of the fourth vertical section of thel ing-cloth, together with ndependent cleaners thereon. Theilour which passes through thebolting-cloth forming the bottom of the third vertical section ofy the' a break ot .the

sifter -is fourth-grade our and falls uponand is discharged from the mperforate bottom of the fourth vertical section of the a break of the sifter, and the Hour which passes through the boltin'g-'cloth forming the bottom -of the thrdvertical section of the b break of the sitter is iionr of' the fifth glrade and'falls upon and is discharged from t e imperforate b break 'of' the-sitter. The screenings, (ine and coarse lmiddlings, and onr of said boltng-cloth 'pass to the bolting-cloth forming the bottom of the fth vertical section of the second break ol. the sffter and pass over said baiting-cloth, the iour which passes through the same being ourof the'sixth grade, while the stock, which fails to pass through the said I bolting-cloth-to wit, tine and coarse middlings-passes to a separating-cloth forming the bottom of the seventh vertical section of rating-cloth to a valve,

,the second break of the s-fter, which separating-cloth, together with circulating cleaners, as'hereinbefore described, separates the tine middlings from the coarse' middlings, 'the coarse middiings passing from the said sepawhichfis adapted to establish com munioation. eitherwith the b or c bleak of rolls` The: nemiddlings which pass through-,the said separating-clothA are has been separated into three g bran, coarse middlings, andv ne middlings and the bran conveyed to the onto 4the bolting-cloth forming the bottom of y charged therefrom.

,to the conveyed to the lc break of the rolls., In the -event that the stock is damp the coarse middlings resulting from the second separation is by the valve caused to be fedto the b break of rolls. .The b break of rolls are ine'r at one end than at the other." In other words, they more closely approach each other at one end` than at the other. The fine middlings resulting from the first separat-ion are fed to the iine end ofthe said b break of rolls,while the coarse middlings of the damp stock resulting from the second separation are fed to the coarse end of the said b break of rolls, the said fine mid- 8o dlings and coarse middlings commingling afvter passing through the said set of rolls, and

the resulting stock containing a portion of ilour is conveyed from the said b break of rolls to the rst vertical section of the a break 85 vof the sifter, where it falls upon the boltingclotlrforming the bottom of t-he said section. The flour which passes through the said bolt- -ing-cloth falls`upon the imperforate `bottoin of the second vertical section of the a break `ol the sifter and is discharged therefrom and is flour of the eighth grade. Such stock as fails to pass through the said bolting-cloth passes, together .with independent cleaners,

the first section of the b break of the sitter, and such iiour that passes through the said latter bolting-cloth is flour of the ninth grade and .falls upon the inlperforate bottom of the second section of the b break of the sifter and is discharged therefrom. Thecoarse and fine middlingsforming the screenings of the said latter bolting-cloth drop therefrom onto a bolting-cloth forming the bottom of the iifth vertical section of the b break of the-sifter. Suchviiour'as passes through the said boltingcloth is Iiour of the tenth grade and falls upon the imperforate bottom ofl the sixthvertical section of the b break of the sifter and is dis- The screenings, fine and coarse middlings, and ilourof the said'bolting-cloth drop from one end thereof, together with circulating cleaners, onto the boltingcloth forming the bottom of the seventh'ver tical section of the b break of the sitter i1r, r,x5 the manner hereiubefore described, and in passing over said bolting-cloth such of the stock as passes through said bolting-cloth is:- our of the eleventh grade and falls upon the imperforate bottom of the eighth vertical section of the b break of the sfterand is discharged therefrom. The screenings and fine and coarse middlings of the said bolting-cloth are conveyed to the c break 'ofrolls and groundatthe coarse end of the said c break otrollsiV 1 y. 1

The coarse middlings I resulting from the first separation hereinbefore described and conveyed to the u, breakof'rolls after being ground by said a break of rolls are conveyed t'th vertical section ot the a break of the sitter 'and treated on the bolting-cloth forming the bottom o! saidseotion, such ma.- terial as passes through said bolting-cloth be- IOO . The coarse middlings 'resulting ing our of the seventh grade, and the screeningsand fine and coarse mddlings from said baiting-cloth dropping from one end thereof, together with. circulating cleaners in the manner hereinbefore described,` onto a separating-cloth which forms the bottom of the seventn vertical section of the a break of rolls. r from said separation are conveyed to d break-rolls, while the vfine middlings resulting from said separation are conveyed to b' break-rolls.

Bycausin g thecoarse middlings to be mixed with the fine stock which passes from the b break of rolls when the stock is damp, in the 'manner hereinbefore' described, the said coarse middlings prevent the said stock from cakiug and choking the boltingcloth by which it yis-sufbseq.uen-tl'yvtreated, and hy this method be employed for this vantage would result from an of commingling coarse stock before thesame is bolted I etfectually prevent the same from choking in the sifter.

I am aware that it has been heretofore proposed to prevent stock from choking the sifter by commingling bran with the stock before the same is bolted. This differs from my method,in this that Iemploy coarse middlings admired with the stock ventthe choking of the sifter and subsemiddlings with damp quently reduce .the screenings resulting from the said bolting, while in the process above referred to, wherein it is proposed to passbran with the stock over the bolting-cloth, the bran is so much dead material, which has no other effect than the mechanical one of preventing the choking of the sitter, and inasmuch as a considerable proportion of said bran has to purpose the capacity of the output of the mill, My process differs from the sifter, and henceis greatly reduced.

this in that I employ the coarse middlings .for the -the vsifter and after the is dry no adadmixture of coarse middlings therewith, and hence, assuming that the stock is dr I adjust the valve in such manner as to cutoff the su ply of coarse middlings to the Z1 break'of rolls and cause the said coarse'middlings to be fed to the c break of rolls, together with the ne niiddlings resulting 'from the second separation, and the tailings or line middlings separated from the eleventh grade of flour, as hereinbefore described. The coarse middlings arelfed to the coarseend of the said'c, break of rolls, n r y to the tine end thereof, and the stock (fine and the tine middlings'are fed before bolting to pre..

esame mi-ddlings, feed, and flour in admixture) result-ing from thegrinding by the said c break of rolls is conveyed tothe beltingclothform ing the bottom of the breakf of the sifter. The material which passes through said bolting-cloth 'is flour of the twelfth g'rade and falls upon the imperforate bottom of the second section of the c break of the sfter and is discharged therefrom, while such material as fails to pass through said bolting-cloth passes onto the bolting-cloth forming the bottoni of the first section of the d break of the sifter, such material as passes through said latter boltingcloth being fionr of the thirteenth grade and falling upon and being discharged from the imperforate bottom of thesecond section 'of the dfbreak ofthe sifter. It will be under-y stood from the drawings that the-material ou the said bolring-cloths of said vertical section of c and (Z breaks of the sfter is subjected to the action of independent cleaners on said bolting-cloths in the mannerhereinbeforedescribed. The taiiingsor screenings from the bolting-cloth of the first section of thedbreak of 'the sifter are conveyed to the bolting-cloth forming the bottom of the fifth vertical section of the c break of the' sifter, such material ing iiour of the fourteenth grade and falls upon the im perforate bottom of the sixth vertical section of the c break of the sifter and is discharged therefrom as a finished product.

lThe tailings from the said latter halting-*cloth fall through an opening atene end thereof in connection with a system of circulating cleaners inthe manner hereinbefore described onto a separating-cloth forming the bottom of the seventh vertical section of the c break of the 9s 'as passes through said latter bolting-cloth be -loo sifter andare thereby separated into Vfine middlings and feed, the fine middliugs pass ing through the said separating-cloth and vbcing conveyed tothe d break of the rolls, while the feed or ship-stud is conveyed to the feedbin. The fine middlings resulting from the last or fourth separation above described arel v fed to the fine end of the d break of rolls,

and the' coarse middlings resultingv from the third separation hereinbefore described are fed 'to the coarse end of the said break of rolls, and .the stock resulting from the regrindingby said d break'of rolls is conveyed to the bolting-cloth forming'the bottom of the third vertical section of the c break of the' sifter, such materiales passes through said bolting; clothl being our of' the fifteenth grade and falls upon the imperforate bottom of the fourth vertical section of the c breakof the sifter and is discharged therefrom as a iin@ ivshed product. Such of the stock as fails to .pass through said last-mentioned boltingcloth passes onto the bolting-'clotlr form ing the bottom of -the third verticalsection of the d break of the sitter, such material as passes through said last-mentioned honing-cloth being flour of the sixteenth grade-and falls upon the imperforate bottom of the' fourth vertical 79 first section of the c esame section of the d break of the sitter and is discharged therefrom as a finished product.

It will be understood that a system of independent cleaners are employed on the bolting-cloths last above mentioned forming the bottoms of the third vertical sections of the c and d breaks of the sifter.

The tailings from the bolting-cloth forming the bottom of the third vertical section of the d break of the sifter are conveyed therefrom to the bolting-cloth forming the bottom of the fifth vertical section of the d break of the sifter. Such material as passes through said last-mentioned bolting-cloth is flour of the seventeenth grade and falls upon the imperforato bottom of the sixth vertical section of the d break of the sitter and is discharged therefrom as a finished product.

The tailings from the last above-mentioned bolting-cloth containing feed or ship-stuif and lowgrade our are discharged through an opening at one end of said bolting-cloth in connection with a system of circulating cleaners and fall upon the bolting-cloth forming the bottom of the seventh vertical section of the d break of the sitter and are bolted thereby. The low-grade flour, which passes through said bo1ting-cloth and falls upon the imperforate bottom of thc eighth vertical section of the d break of the sifter, is discharged therefrom as a finished product and conveyed to the low-grade-flour bin, while the feed or ship-stuff which fails' to pass through said last-mentioned bolting-cloth is conveyed to the feed-bin, which also receives the feed or ship-stuff resulting from the fourth separation hereinbefore described.

The bran which was conveyed to the brauduster from the first section of the second break of the sifter, as hereinbefore described, contains a certain proportion of flour and feed, which is taken therefrom by the bran dustcr in the manner well known by millers and others skilled in the art, the bran being conveyed therefrom io the bran-bin, and the flour and feed being conveyed either to the stock from the d break of rolls or to the stock of the c break of rolls and is subsequently treated therewith in a manner hereinbefore described.

It will be understood that the stock in pass ing through the sifter is successively mixed with and separated from various systems of cleaners, which systems are independent of each other and do not become oommingled, und thereby the stock is prevented from choking the bolts, and it will be further understood that the flour resulting from each bolting is immediately taken from the stock in circulation through the sitter and discharged as a finished product and not reground. Hence successively after each bolting of the fiour the volume of the stock undergoing the sifting process is reduced proportionately as new' stock is supplied to the sitter from the first break of the rolls and the llow or passage of the stock through the sifter is evenly mainn tained. Y

In practice I employ, say, six grains of whole wheat as cleaners to the square inch of the first bolting-cloth and reduce this number Offcleaners to four or less per square inch on the other bolting-cloths. I thus vary the quantity or number of the cleaners employed on the various boltin g-cloths according to the volume of the stock to be treated by said bolting-cloths, and this I am enabled to do byv employing .separate systems of cleaners in connection with the' various bolts, as hereinbefore described. It should be further observed and understood that the iirst bolting of ilourffrom the stock oc'cnrs in an initial stage of the sifting process, where the volume of the stock is greatest, and is accomplished partly through the agency of an independent system of cleaners. It should be further understood that after each bolting and taking of flour from the stock the stock is further reduced by being passed through another set of rolls and conveyed to an appropriate bolt of the sifter according to its grade, the process being repeated as many times as may prove desirable. y thus taking out the finished flour resulting from each grinding before subjecting the stock to a subsequent reduction I greatly enhance the efficiency and increase the capacity of the sifter, so that I by my improved process of milling am enabled to effect a material economy in the manufacture of iiour by reducing the number'of sets of rolls required by a given output of product- By taking out, Hour after each bolting in accordance with my improved process, as hereinbefore described, not only is the capacity of the sitter, and hence the capacity ofthe mill, greatly increased, but the iiour produced is of better quality than that which is reground, as is now the practice in roller-mills. The flour by my process is only ground once, although the stock passes through a series of sets of breaks of rolls, while in existing proc esses heretofore employed in roller-mills the flour is repeatedly regrouud, greatly to the detriment thereof. Moreover, by my im.

Aproved process, wherein I subject the stock to a series of partial reductions and take out the flour resulting from each partial reduction, the stock by being thus treated yields an increased proportion of our, as will be readily understood. In practice by the use of my said improved method of milling hereinbefore described I have increased the capacity of a mill employing six setsiof rolls from fortybarrels of fiour per day to sixty barrels of iiour per day. 'l

The various grades of flour produced by my improved process may be either conveyed to separatevbins and. placed upon the market as different brands of flour, there being a slight diierence in quality between each grade of our and that which is obtained at. asubseonent partial reduction of vthe stock, or the IDO trg

vvarious grades of flour 'mey be blended or gades may be blended,

-screening the bran therefrom;

Iinest our from the resulting stock, separati'ng the coarse middlings from 'said stock,

bolting t-he bolting the finished flour from the fine mddlings, and subsequently separately reducing said coarse and fine mddlings by a series of partial reductions, and taking out flour resulting from each partial reduction.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing ns my own'I have hereto axed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SQUIRE THOMAS GREEN. Witnesses:

J. W. GARNER, M. C. GLADMOND. 

